Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Monday said he would continue opposing the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, and vowed to fight against it “until my last breath”. Patnaik made the remarks while addressing a large BJD protest rally at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar, where party workers gathered to demand the repeal of the amended mining law.

Patnaik said the BJD's campaign was aimed at protecting Odisha's interests and the rights of its people. He questioned the BJP-led state government's position on the legislation and criticised what he described as its silence on the issue. He also said he had written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking a special session of the Odisha Assembly to discuss the law and pass a resolution against it.

The BJD president has argued that the amended law could significantly reduce Odisha's mining-related revenues. In August, Patnaik estimated that the changes could result in annual losses of more than Rs 12,000 crore for the state. The Indian Express reported that Odisha accounts for nearly 44 per cent of India's mineral wealth and that mining royalties form a substantial part of the state's non-tax revenue.

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The dispute centres on changes to the legal framework governing taxation of minerals and mineral-bearing land. The 2026 amendments establish a uniform national framework and limit states' powers to impose taxes on mining lands, following a July 2024 Supreme Court ruling that had recognised states' powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land. The changes have since become a political flashpoint in Odisha, with the BJD and Congress opposing the law and the BJP government defending it.

Addressing the gathering, Patnaik appealed to political parties and people across Odisha to join the opposition to the Act. He said the BJD would continue its campaign against implementation of the amended law in the state. The protest comes amid continuing political debate in Odisha over the financial and constitutional implications of the legislation, with the state government's position differing from the BJD's assessment of its likely impact.

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